1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an inflating/deflating device for an inflatable, more particularly to a power-operated inflating/deflating device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown an inflating/deflating device 12 attached to an air mattress 11 in an opening 111. The inflating/deflating device 12 includes a housing 13 and a fan unit 14 mounted removably inside the housing 13 to supply air. The housing 13 includes a space 131 to receive the fan unit 14, a pressure inlet gate 132 and a pressure release gate 133. An inlet valve assembly 134 is attached to a rear side of the housing 13 and communicated fluidly with the pressure inlet gate 132. A cap 135 is connected to the housing 13 to block releaseably the pressure release gate 133. Both of the pressure inlet and pressure release gates 133, 134 are in fluid communication with an interior chamber of the air mattress 11. The pressure inlet valve 134 is used to guide air into the air mattress 11 and to prevent air from flowing outwardly and reversely.
The fan unit 14 includes a fan casing 143 to receive a motor (not shown) and a fan blade assembly (not shown) and is provided with an inlet passage 141 to be aligned with the pressure inlet gate 132 and an outlet passage 142 to be aligned with the pressure release gate 133.
When the air mattress 11 is to be inflated, the fan unit 14 is placed in the housing 13 with the inlet passage 141 being aligned with the pressure inlet gate 132 and is actuated to introduce air into the air mattress 11 through the pressure inlet gate 132 and the inlet valve assembly 134.
When the air mattress 11 is to be deflated, the cap 135 is detached from the pressure release gate 133, and the outlet passage 142 of the fan unit 14 is aligned with the pressure release gate 133. Thereafter, the fan unit 14 is actuated to draw air from the inside of the air mattress 11 through the pressure release gate 133.
However, inconveniences are encountered when using the conventional inflating/deflating device 12 since it is necessary to remove the fan unit 14 from the housing 13 to change the position of the fan unit 14 relative to the housing 13 whenever inflation or deflation of the air mattress 11 is necessary. It is desirable that an inflating/deflating device be operable to perform an inflating mode and a deflating mode without the need to change the configuration of the inflating/deflating device by detaching a portion of the inflating/deflating device from an inflatable.